We’ve seen The Challenge take many forms, and some victories are more impressive than others. General consensus in the Challenge fandom is winning in a big team format is the least impressive way to win.
Once a staple of the franchise, Team Challenges have become increasingly rare in more recent years. Still, they show up every so often — and spoiler, season 42 may adopt a team format.
So what makes a Challenge win qualify for this list? I’m only looking at seasons with two or three-team formats, and the teams need to be in tact throughout the final. I’m also considering the level of competition from the opposing team(s), difficulty making it to the final, and overall rigor of the season.
5. The Real World (Battle of the Seasons)
When 16 Real Worlders and 16 Road Rulers showed up for Battle of the Seasons, there was no playbook. This was the first elimination-based season, and the Road Rules team played a more aggressive game. The Real Worlders, on the other hand, showed strong leadership by focusing on team camaraderie and making fairer decisions. Once the final teams of six were assembled, the Road Rulers were a formidable bunch — the Roadies actually had one more win before the final — but the Real Worlders stuck together and managed to pull out a win when it mattered most.
4. The Rookies (The Gauntlet 2)
Obviously, this entry is not because of the team’s performance in the final. The Gauntlet 2 has the worst final ever, but the rookies were an impressive group leading to that last challenge. They outperformed the Veterans throughout the season, proving that pure athleticism might matter more than experience. They managed to complete missions that evaded the Veterans, like Balancing Act and The Pit, but the most impressive thing about this team was its captains. Alton and Kina help the position from the start of the season until the end of it, and it was satisfying to see them claim victory… even if it was from a silly eating contest.
3. The Good Guys (Inferno 2)
On the surface, the Inferno seasons are easy to win; 40% of the Inferno 1 cast was declared winners. But the original Good Guys team played a more tactful game. At the beginning of the season, the Bad Asses were winning more often, but the team was struggling to get along. As the season progressed, the Good Guys became leaner. Their strongest players remained, and they brought most of their best players to the final. Together, they managed to overtake the Bad Asses, even though they had fewer players. Not only did this make their victory impressive, but they each took home a sizable chunk of change because they only split their team bank four ways.
2. The Red Team (Cutthroat)
Looking at Cutthroat as a whole, it felt like the Grey team was poised to win the final. The once-impressive Blue team had dwindled down to two girls, and the Red team had only won two daily Challenges over the course of the season. But the Red team peaked when it mattered most. They were ready for an endurance race, and they were motivated to get Brad an overdue win. Predictably, the two remaining Blue Team girls struggled, but the grey team started to implode when Sarah and Abe were medically evacuated from the final. This paved the way for the Red team to secure the win, making them a group of four winners in a cast of 30 competitors.
1. Team UK (War of the Worlds 2)
Statistically, winning War of the Worlds 2 was more difficult than any other team season: only 1 out of 8 cast members would be crowned champion. But the UK team seemed like they were screwed at the beginning of the season. The US team had some of the strongest competitors the Challenge has ever seen, and the UK team had unproven Brits and an out-of-shape CT. As the season progressed, the best British competitors stuck around, and the US team was fighting a civil war. This led to Jordan and Tori becoming Turn Coats, and that made the UK team much stronger. They started winning, and while Tori was purged out of the final group, the UK team worked well together and outperformed the frustrated US team. This was a surprising victory, especially for Rogan, who was the only truly British competitor to win on Team UK.
Stop Being Polite 